The Lion Card Story, 10 Years of Metal Card Innovation (Founder Interview)

Lion Card was founded in 2015 by Jonny Vu, a Silicon Valley engineer with a simple belief that the card in your wallet should reflect your success. The story began when a premium metal card arrived in his mail, and he saw how differently people reacted to its weight. Coming from a hardware and packaging background, he spent months performing surgery on plastic cards until he found a way to move a live EMV chip into metal without damaging it. That breakthrough became a patented process, U.S. Patent No. 11,562,194, and a decade of metal card innovation. 

Here is the Lion Card story, from a workshop bench to a global brand.

The Founder Behind Lion Card

Every card here traces back to one engineer and one belief.

Who Is Jonny Vu

Jonny Vu is the founder and chief executive of Lion Card, based in Silicon Valley. He came from an engineering background, with years spent in hardware and packaging design at technology companies including Seagate and Nvidia. His guiding belief was direct, that the card in your wallet should reflect your success.

The Spark in 2015

The story began when a premium metal card arrived in his mail in 2015. Holding its weight, he watched people react as though it signaled real success. That reaction convinced him an everyday card could be a personal statement, as he later described in a founder interview.

Ten Years of Metal Card Innovation

The company grew through hands-on engineering and clear milestones.

The Kitchen-Table Breakthrough

Cracking the technology took engineering, not theory. Vu performed surgery on dozens of cards and chips, working until he could remove a live EMV chip intact. Months of trial and a well-worn kitchen table later, he had a method that worked.

The First Fully Functional Metal Card

Other companies offered metal cards, but none moved both a working EMV chip and magnetic-stripe data from a real bank card. Lion Card was the first to transplant a functional EMV chip from plastic into metal. Winning early trust meant meeting customers in person, including a retail kiosk in 2016, and earning cosigns from well-known artists and influencers.

Scaling the Craft

A larger lab in 2020 let the company scale production and reach new milestones. The range grew to laser engraving, full-color UV printing, genuine diamond accents, and the LED Cosmic Lumina card, plus a branded card program for fintech for neobanks and financial brands. Read the full company and founder story for the complete timeline.

What sets the cards apart:

• A live EMV chip transplant, not a printed or demo chip
• Real metal at 27 grams, more than five times the weight of plastic
• Full custom engraving, UV color, or your own artwork
• A utility patent, U.S. Patent No. 11,562,194

In the Founder's Words

A few themes come up whenever Jonny Vu describes the work.

Patent Over Imitation

Vu draws a hard line between a real chip transplant and cheaper look-alikes built on printed plastic or demo chips. Lion Card's method moves your live EMV chip into metal and is protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,562,194. The patent is the proof, not the pitch.

Customization First

From the start, Vu wanted customers to have creative freedom over their card. You can choose a ready design or upload your own artwork, logo, or monogram. A custom metal card puts that choice in your hands.

How the EMV Transplant Works

The process keeps your bank and account exactly where they are.

Ship In Your Card

You choose a design online and receive a prepaid, tracked label to mail in your existing card. Your account and chip never change, since it is your own card being rebuilt. Shipping is tracked both ways for peace of mind.

Extract, Implant, and Test

Technicians carefully remove the working EMV chip and magnetic-stripe data from your plastic card, then implant and seal it into your chosen metal body. Every card is tested for chip and swipe performance before it ships. Tap-to-pay runs through a mobile wallet, since the metal card itself does not tap, and both your original and new card come back to you.

A Decade of Precision

Ten years on, the Lion Card story is still the one Jonny Vu started with, an everyday card rebuilt into something that feels earned. A patent, a global client base, and the first LED payment card all grew from a metal card that once arrived in his mail. The craft is in your hand, not just the history. 

Start your own custom metal card and carry a piece of it.

FAQs

Who founded Lion Card?

Lion Card was founded by Jonny Vu in 2015. A Silicon Valley engineer, he built the company around the belief that the card in your wallet should reflect your success. Today he serves as its founder and chief executive.

Who is Jonny Vu?

Jonny Vu is the founder and CEO of Lion Card, a metal payment card company based in Silicon Valley, California. He came from a hardware and packaging engineering background before starting the company in 2015. His focus is turning ordinary cards into premium metal statements.

When was Lion Card founded?

Lion Card was founded in 2015, giving it around a decade of metal card experience. Over those years, it developed a patented conversion process and expanded worldwide. The company now serves both individuals and fintech brands.

How did Lion Card get started?

The idea started in 2015 when a premium metal card arrived in Jonny Vu's mail and drew strong reactions. With an engineering background, he spent months extracting EMV chips from plastic cards until he perfected a safe transplant. That method became the foundation of the company.

What makes Lion Card different from other metal cards?

Lion Card was the first to transplant a functional EMV chip from a plastic card into metal, rather than using a printed or demo chip. The method is protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,562,194 and keeps your account and chip unchanged. Every card is real metal at 27 grams.

Does Lion Card hold a patent?

Yes. The company's manufacturing process is protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,562,194, which covers the method itself rather than just a design. The patent came out of a multi-year research and filing effort. Every card is built on that process.